(a) The license fee imposed by this part does not apply to a passenger vehicle, a motorcycle, or a commercial vehicle of less than 8,001 pounds unladen weight, unless the vehicle is used for transportation for hire, compensation, or profit, if the vehicle is owned by any disabled veteran, as defined in Section 295.7 of the Vehicle Code, any former American prisoner of war, or any veteran who is a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.
(b) The exemption granted by subdivision (a) shall extend to not more than one vehicle owned by the veteran, or former American prisoner of war, and is applicable to the same vehicle as described in subdivision (b) of Section 9105 of the Vehicle Code.
(c) (1) The Department of Motor Vehicles may require any disabled veteran applying for an exemption under this section to submit a certificate signed by a physician or surgeon substantiating the disability.
(2) The Department of Motor Vehicles may require any person applying for an exemption under this section for either of the following reasons to do any of the following:
(A) By reason of the person’s status as a former American prisoner of war, to show, by satisfactory proof, his or her former prisoner-of-war status.
(B) By reason of the person’s status of receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor, to show, by satisfactory proof, that he or she is a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.
(d) This section shall become operative on July 1, 1999.
(Repealed (in Sec. 1) and added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 563, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 1999. Section operative July 1, 1999, by its own provisions.)